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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967506">Kageyama’s a Phony</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilzy/pseuds/Lilzy'>Lilzy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A lot - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Office, Hinata too oops, I’m sorry, Late Valentine’s Day fic, M/M, Misunderstandings, Office AU, Phone Conversations, Rated teen because Kageyama curses, They are so dumb and awkward I love them, they share one braincell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:47:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilzy/pseuds/Lilzy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama slowly gathers the courage to ask out his crush</p><p>OR</p><p>Hinata slowly gathers the courage to ask out his crush</p><p>OR</p><p>What do you do when you have a crush on a coworker and they don’t even know you exist? Your coworkers ruin your life, that’s how.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kageyama’s a Phony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay so I can explain… I was going to post this for Valentine’s Day but I started writing too late and then my birthday happened and then I caught up on S4 episodes and then I’m working full time now, etc. – bottom line is I have a ton of excuses for why this is so late (even though no one asked for this fic lol).</p><p>Since I wasn’t able to post it on time for Valentine’s Day, this is my contribution that celebrates the holidays of February: Valentine’s Day (2/14) and Haikyuu!!’s Birthday/serialization (2/20).</p><p>(Thanks to my bestie for beta reading and helping me come up with some interesting ideas for this fic!)</p><p>Enjoy this train wreck!~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hinata Shouyou entered his PIN number onto the clock-in device on the wall near the break room. The machine beeped loudly, confirming his entry. He yawned, rubbed at his eyes, and held up his arm in a halfass wave as some of his fellow members on Nishinoya’s sales team walked by. They nodded and greeted him, walking to their respective desks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He meandered through the maze of cubicles to his own desk and plopped into the comfy desk chair. His body sank into the pleather surface as he moved around to get comfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata leaned over to press the button on the back of the large monitor. The machine whirred and flashed bright white, opening to the login screen. Two index fingers quickly pressed the keys, but the screen flashed with a message immediately after he pressed enter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Reconfirm the password</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the computer demanded. Hinata huffed and punched each key </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span> – oops, CAPS lock was on – and </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After finally entering a successful login, his volleyball cursor whirled in a circle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The desktop came into view moments later. He opened his mail app and checked for any new messages that hopefully would be a lead he so desperately needed. Unfortunately, there was nothing but junk emails. Hinata dragged them to the pixelated trash bin. He grabbed at the headset hanging on the monitor and flipped through a wrinkled printout on his desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, they said no yesterday, this one hung up, she didn’t have the funds, this number wasn’t right,” Hinata mumbled as he slid his finger down the list of several company names, past individual customers, possible leads, etc. He flipped to the next page, and nothing. He called this one guy yesterday and heard his life story over the course of 20 minutes before finally having the guts to actually try to push the product to the guy. The man yelled at him and then hung up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was he doing this again? Yeah, he worked at an office for a business. It was an industry that millions of people pursued, but it was not the most desirable job in the world. It paid the bills, well... sort of. The starting pay wasn’t the best, but he got a commission with every lead that turned into a sale. But therein was the problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata scanned the page and found a name that had been crossed out, and then uncrossed, and starred. He breathed in deeply, read the digits next to the name and accompanying information, and dialed the number.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The phone rang for a few moments before a man answered. A gruff voice muttered “Hello?” and then there was silence. Hinata was already nervous from hearing the tone of the man and assumed this was going to be another ticked off jerk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doubting himself, Hinata rushed to flip a pad of paper to the hand-written script for sales calls pertaining to volleyball equipment, even though he had it memorized backwards and forwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, I am Hinata Shouyou, from Miyagi Sports Supply. I’m calling you today because you have previously shown interest in our products, especially in the volleyball area. We have standard volleyball equipment, knee braces, knee pads, and more. For only $100, you can get the level one volleyball court package that includes a standard court size net, three league volleyballs, knee pads, and volleyball shoes. Are you still interested?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata paused, waiting for confirmation. He was pretty sure he could hear lots of commotion from the other side of the call – it sounded like dozens of muffled voices? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not really interested in the product…” the man mumbled softly. Again, Hinata heard voices in the background, this time they were loud and almost shouting, and laughing? They sounded excited, like they were having the time of their lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man continued to speak, but Hinata’s ears only picked up the loud exclamations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, K-Kageyama-san, I can’t hear you, there’s background noise? Could you please move to another room?” Hinata requested, nervous. It was rather bold of him to ask, and the likelihood of the man fulfilling that request was very low.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah, I can. Sorry about them, my colleagues are the worst,” Kageyama apologized, his voice sounding softer, like he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> felt bad… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How </span>
  <em>
    <span>refreshing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Hinata breathed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama asked him to wait for a second, Hinata nodded like an idiot, thinking the man could </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, then the line went silent. He gathered the script and leaned back in his chair. He was gonna have to really try on his call, it seemed. But so far it was going okay?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of nowhere, there was an outcry. (Hinata assumed) Kageyama left the room he was in. Hinata swore he heard Kageyama tell the supposed colleagues to shut up. A few moments later Kageyama put the phone back up to his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m out in the hallway now,” he huffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, again,” the salesman smiled. “So, uh, back to my begging you to buy our product,” Hinata joked (although honestly he’s dead serious).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama laughed, “Yeah, go ahead. I’ve got nothing better to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You also work in an office?” Hinata snorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence, then “Yeah, actually… I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so you get me? I like the job, but it’s really draining.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama took another long awkward pause to respond. “Yeah, it can be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata suddenly felt uncomfortable, maybe he should just stick to the script.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-anyways, allow me to explain why the level one volleyball court package is what you’re looking for…” Hinata read aloud. He silently read the next few lines and he was bored. This wouldn't work on this guy. He needed some real convincing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Screw the script.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I actually own this set, and it’s amazing. If you love volleyball, it’s perfect for practicing. The volleyballs from the set haven’t deflated one bit and the net is easy to install. The shoes wore down about as fast as regular running shoes, but are still a great value. The knee pads have saved me from burns and scrapes dozens of times…” Hinata described the products honestly, while Kageyama hummed along his assent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also want to add that I don’t make many sales, and I rely on commissions, so I appreciate you listening to me…” Hinata frowned at himself for using this tactic. It never worked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyways – would you be interested in purchasing any of these items today?–” Hinata waited, assuming it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>, because the guy </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> say he wasn’t really interested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Kageyama said simply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata gasped, coughed and managed to ask, “What specifically?” The salesman waited for his newest customer to explain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One of each of the items you are selling – I mean, the set,” Kageyama replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gwah, I can’t believe it! Thank you so much, Kageyama-san. I will record an invoice for you listing each of those items. I just need your contact and billing information in order to send your order request to our shipping department.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, yeah give me a moment–“ Kageyama mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure! No problem, take your time,” Hinata squeaked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His coworkers peered around their cubicles to stare at him. He shook his hand at them, signifying he was sorry and that he was busy… making a sale! And it was a big ticket item. The sales commission would greatly help him out. He would need to figure out how to thank this guy…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m back, Hinata,” Hinata’s #1 customer spoke up once again. His voice was smooth and calm, like earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-ready?” Hinata asked while attempting to not allow his voice to be shaky. Kageyama saying his name made him feel woozy for some reason… But he was brought down to earth when he heard laughing from his customer’s side of the call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up guys – uh, yeah, I’m ready. Sorry again. My phone number is 022-910-0819,” Kageyama replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I already have that information, Kageyama-san. I called you, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama exhaled, “Well, I just want you to know that is my phone number. What else do you need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need your shipping address, billing address, and payment information. Oh, and if you want a receipt, an email address to send it to would also be needed,” Hinata explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The salesman received the information from his client and submitted it into the system so the order could go onto the next step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Kageyama-san, do you have any questions for me? About your order or shipment or anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause, before the guy responded. “I don’t have any questions right now, but, could I have your number in case I think of something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata froze. Caller ID existed. Kageyama technically could retrieve his work number any time he wanted. So why would he ask? </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Hinata felt his cheeks warm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really didn’t know this guy, but Hinata wanted to know more. Kageyama could be an old guy or a creep. It’s just a phone number. Oh, what the hell. What’s he got to lose?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,” Hinata breathed. “My number is 022-333-1009.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Hinata-san,” Kageyama chuckled. “I actually was not expecting you to give me </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> phone number.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata audibly gasped. “Oh! I misunderstood–“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I was joking… I wanted your number,” the man said simply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Hinata whispered awkwardly. He was lost for words and didn’t really know what to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could I call you tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata smiled. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys leave me alone, I already talked to him and got his phone number – I fulfilled the dare.” Kageyama begged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but you didn’t ask him out, c’mon man. You’ve been pining after him for months. It’s time to grow a pair and do it already.” Tanaka crossed his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I have to hear about that guy from the sales department one more time I’m going to quit. I’m not even giving HR my two-week notice. I’ll be out of here. Ask him out, Kageyama. I swear to god,” Tsukishima weighed in, threateningly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> for you to quit, although we both know you never will since you’ve promised to do it for the 100th time now, Glasses,” Kageyama growled before heading back to his office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t do it by the end of this week, you’ll hear it from Daichi,” Suga sing-songed as Kageyama stormed off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He can’t focus on anything else, and it’s affecting his work – which affects </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> work” Tsukishima shook his head. “It’s annoying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just go to your desk,” Suga chuckled. “I’ll handle it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nishinoya made his way over to them, filling up his mug with coffee. “Are you talking about Hinata Shouyou? He’s a great salesman – I’ve actually been considering promoting him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Suga asked. “Hmmmm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nishinoya bounced over to the HR executive. “Sugawara-san, whatever you’re planning, I want in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Nishinoya. If Daichi finds out I meddled I might be in trouble.” Suddenly, Suga smirked. “Actually, there’s one thing you can do for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pull Hinata’s sales file for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nishinoya’s eyes lit up devilishly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata had a slightly larger spring in his step the next morning, clocking in with vigor and heading to his desk ready to make some sales. Later he was planning on calling his… he didn’t know what to call Kageyama. A friend? Yeah that sounded right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He logged in to his computer and checked his emails. To his surprise, there was a new email flagged as an urgent message. Upon opening it, he realized it was from HR. Uh oh. Did they somehow know that he whined to a customer yesterday? Was he getting his ass fired after only a few years of working here? He honestly expected it to happen sooner. He didn’t know that one of his biggest orders would result in being let go, but here he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata reread the email which told him to meet in Conference Room 3 in an hour. In the meantime, he was gonna get as many sales as possible to make his check hopefully larger to make up for the deficit of being fired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He went through the list and found the first name that was not scratched out. He dialed the number on his headset and waited through many rings. The customer picked up on the last ring and was willing to listen to his pitch. The call finally was about to get somewhere when the clock hit 5 minutes until 9 a.m.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry ma’am, I’m going to have to refer you to one of my colleagues. Could you please wait for a moment?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” the woman replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata put her on hold and dialed another number on the headset. “Hey Nishinoya-san, can you take this call for me? The customer is interested in buying some equipment and she’s bought from us in the past. I’ve offered her a 10% discount if she orders today. I put her on line 20.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure! I can take her,” Noya offered. “Where are you headed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really sure, I’m supposed to be in a meeting? I’ll let you know,” Hinata said, already heading in the direction of Conference Room 3.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he got to the room, he opened the door and was shocked to see Sugawara-san, second in command of the HR department, sitting down at the head of the oval conference table…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Hinata. I’m glad you received the email and are here. Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Sugawara Koushi, an HR executive. I was told by one of our accountants that you made a rather large sale yesterday. Congrats!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Sugawara-san, but I actually know who you are,” Hinata laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Well thanks, that means a lot coming from you,” Suga smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Hinata doesn’t speak up again, Sugawara carried the conversation forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that you have been struggling to greatly surpass your quota for a few months now. You’re such a good salesman who has sold several large orders for us in the past, and you’ve hit way above your target quota for years, but–”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh here it comes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like you’re discouraged, Hinata. Don’t be. Your position is a difficult one, but very rewarding, especially since you’re such a hard worker. We want you to stay aboard here as long as possible and we want to reward you for bringing us so much business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Hinata's eyes lit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Your supervisor and I have talked about giving you a promotion. You’d be handling more important clients who are constant buyers, like sports leagues, businesses, gyms, etc. No more calling customers and worrying about commissions – you’ll be getting salary pay.” Suga explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I can’t belive it,” Hinata gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe it,” a voice said from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata turned around to see Nishinoya. “You’re in the big leagues now, Shouyou.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sugawara motioned them both to come over and sit down. “Let me tell you more about the job so you know what you’re getting in to, not that it’s a handful. You will have your hands full, but I think you’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nishinoya laughed. Suga immediately gave shot him a glare. Nishinoya gulped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, please tell me more,” Hinata vibrated in his seat excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, your official title would be an executive sales assistant. Basically, you would be an assistant to our chief sales officer. He’s been overwhelmed recently and we figure with your sales experience, you could assist him with our larger accounts while also handling your own customers on the side. While he would be your new direct supervisor, when you have a handle on the job the two of you would be more like equal co-managers of this department, or partners. Does this make sense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir.” Hinata nodded along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will have your own office within his office space. If you want the job, you’ll report there tomorrow. So, are you interested in the position?” Suga asked, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! I accept. Thank you so much!” Hinata was all but jumping up and down in his seat. Nishinoya seemed to be doing the same. Suga chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, report to the 9th floor tomorrow, and just let the receptionist know who you are. She will help show you your desk. There, you will meet your new supervisor. Sound good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup!” Hinata rose from his chair and shook Suga’s hand, then Nishinoya’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate all you’ve done for me, I will not let you two down,” Hinata promised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We expect great things from you, Hinata. I will bring the promotion paperwork to your office tomorrow for you to look over and sign. You are excused.” Suga got up and left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noya gave a thumbs up. “I can’t wait for you to meet your new boss, Hinata. I think you two will get along well, and if not, you can always be my assistant!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, Nishinoya-san.” Hinata said as they left the conference room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now get back to work!” Noya teased, heading back to his office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata spun in his chair, ready to call his next potential customer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Hinata punched out for lunch, he reflected on how great today was so far; he had gotten some more sales under his belt in the last few hours than he had in weeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The confidence had oozed out of him when he convinced a new professional tennis athlete to purchase a deluxe package of tennis equipment. And the guy wanted to pay for professional installation without even being given the recommendation to do so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day got even better when he sat down at his desk to eat and surf the internet, when he got a call on his cell phone. It was from Kageyama.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata considered whether or not he should answer calls during his lunch break. Then, in a moment of weakness, he picked up his cell phone and took the call.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kageyama-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Hinata-san. How are you today?” Kageyama asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m actually really great. I want to thank you for your purchase yesterday. My supervisor noticed and I got a promotion!” Hinata beamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s amazing. What are you going to do now? Are you still going to be my personal sports vendor?” Kageyama joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, you can always call me for all your sports needs…” Hinata goofed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to be an assistant to one of our bigwig executives. I’ve never met him, but I’m sure it’ll be a nice experience to work closely with someone. This will be the next big step in my career. I’m really excited,” Hinata gushed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-do you know who you are working with?” Kageyama mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, no. Why do you ask?” Hinata questioned, scratching at his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. It’s very unlikely I’d know them but I actually do have connections at Miyagi Sports, believe it or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ll let you know when I meet them!” Hinata replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great, I’d like that,” Kageyama whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They talked for a little while, and Hinata hadn’t gotten started on eating yet. His lunch break was almost over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kageyama-san, I’m on my lunch break and it’s almost over. Could I call you back later, if that’s okay?” Hinata asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry I distracted you,” Kageyama apologized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great! And it’s fine, really. I like talking to you.” Hinata smiled, cheeks warm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause, and finally the salesman broke the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about tomorrow?” Hinata asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sure.” Kageyama stuttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt weird not pressing the “Floor 10” button on the elevator the next day – not a bad weird – just different. It honestly felt good to arrive on Floor 9 where the bosses, executives, and higher ups worked. Years of working were finally paying off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he walked along, he admired the beautiful design and architecture of the floor. The hallway is a balcony that has a view of the outside world through large pane windows and below all the way to the marbled first floor of the building. It’s absolutely breathtaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The receptionist at the front counter greeted him as he approached. “H-hi! Are you Hinata Shouyou?” she asked him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and stopped at her desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to finally meet you!” she giggled nervously. “I’m Yachi Hitoka, I double as a receptionist for and a graphic designer.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, nice to meet you, Yachi! I am going to be working in the sales department on this floor now,” Hinata smiled. “Suga told me you’d show me where to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes! Right this way,” Yachi squeaked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much,” Hinata said as he followed Yachi farther down the hallway. The hallway opened to a large room with desks spaced several feet apart. People sat at a few of them, discussing something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This room is for meetings with customers who like to visit with their salesmen in person. There are also adjacent conference rooms for larger clients who want more privacy, etc. The conference rooms are also used for meetings amongst our staff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kept walking down another hallway to the left. “This hall connects to many executive offices. Yours is down this way.” Yachi explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh! This is exciting.” Hinata was awed at all of the glass walls they passed by that revealed large offices with glorious views. “Wow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yachi laughs. “We’re almost there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They turned right and went down another hall. Yachi stopped so suddenly that Hinata almost bumped into her. “Sorry!” Hinata squeaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Hinata. Uh, your office is in here,” Yachi pointed at a door with his name on it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was fast</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Above his name was another name. Before he had time to read what it was, Yachi opened the door and motioned for him to enter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on in. I’ll show you to your desk,” she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Hinata felt a little flustered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed Yachi as they walked to one section of the large office that was a typical office area with a desk, a very luxurious desk chair, a state-of-the-art computer. The desk was covered with various office supplies and there were stacks of paper near the keyboard. Next to the desk were a couple of filing cabinets and a huge counter with his own personal printer/fax machine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Across from that set up was a meeting/waiting area with a plush couch, a sleek coffee table, and a few comfy looking chairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing was as beautiful as the window. It was floor-to-ceiling high. Hinata could see the enormous park next door and all the wonderfully constructed buildings along the block. He marveled at the beauty of the city for a moment, but when he turned around Yachi wasn’t there anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, there was a man. He was tall (ugh, Hinata immediately hated how tall this guy was), with deep blue eyes, and dark hair. His face was tense with his mouth agape for just a second as he spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Hinata had no idea what he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what?” Hinata gasped, suddenly nervous from the way the man glared at him intensely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, uh, what are you doing here?” the guy asked, looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Hinata Shouyou, I’m from the 10th floor in the sales department. I was promoted and now I work here,” the red head squeaked. The man stepped forward, his eyes focusing on Hinata closely. Hinata felt warm, embarrassed by his stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You work here?” The guy’s eyebrows pinched in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” Hinata almost giggled at the sudden change in this guy’s expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In this office?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With me?” The man breathed softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes? Are you the executive salesman Suga told me about?” Hinata questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me a second.” The guy ran out of the room quickly, not giving Hinata a chance to respond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay?” He said to no one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Suga!” Kageyama rushed into the HR Office area a little out of breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Kageyama?” Sugawara turned around in his chair to face his coworker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You put </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> with </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Kageyama sputtered, slamming his palms onto the desk in front of him. “Why?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re talking about Hinata?... This isn’t what you think it is. Nishinoya was already planning on having him promoted. This arrangement was just icing on the cake.” Suga smirked and leaned back in his chair. He rested his hands on his head and watched Kageyama lose his shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck, Sugawara-san? I can’t work with him…” Kageyama rubbed his face, covering his eyes and red cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Language! ...And why not?” Sugawara widened his devil smile, already knowing the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I can’t function with him around, for fuck’s sake. I know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> you did this but </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can see this as a bad thing, but think about it this way. If he’s around you all the time, the crush will fade. You hardly even know the guy – maybe getting to know him will change your feelings, or maybe it’ll help you confront him. I just know that if I don’t take these measures, nothing will happen. And then your department will suffer because you can’t get your work done. Now get back in that office and do your job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga turned away nonchalantly and picked up the phone. He dialed a number and its extension as Kageyama stormed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Hinata! I will be over in a little bit to go over your paperwork! Yes – yes – don’t worry he’s coming back! Okay, bye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, back to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Where’d you go?” Hinata tapped his foot, a little angry at the storm out of his supposed partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I had to clear some things up with Sugawara-san. He didn’t inform me about working with any new people, so I just wanted to confirm with him,” Kageyama replied through clenched teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m sorry that I’m not good enough,” Hinata spat, a little hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no, I didn’t mean that – I was supposed to have been warned – uh, I mean. There was no paperwork or memo. I was not doubting your experience or skill. I've actually heard about you before, from coworkers. You are…” Kageyama stopped himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit, keep it together.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awful? Yeah I know,” Hinata interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no, you’re very talented. You’re convincing and you’re honest,” Kageyama said softly, cringing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clearly from your face, I’m not,” Hinata laughed, and then frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious, you are a good salesman,” Kageyama said, stepping closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata felt warm again. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, anyways, I’m Kageyama.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata found it odd that he didn’t say his first name, but didn’t question it. But as Kageyama showed him the door that connects to both their offices, he had an ah-ha moment. His newest customer also was a Kageyama. But there was no way it was the same guy…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This Kageyama started to show him various information like current clients, and their certain filing system, etc., Hinata tried to think back to that dang paper he left at his desk on the 10th floor. What was that guy’s given name? Hinata thinks it started with a T, or was it a K?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, are you paying attention?” Kageyama griped, waving his arm in front of Hinata’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah,” Hinata played it cool. Kageyama frowned, and resumed the job training.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright then, let’s move onto my accounts that you’ll be taking over…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata huffed, pulling out a pad of paper to take notes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>———-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple hours later, Hinata had retained about maybe 10% of the information Kageyama had told him. He hadn’t realized how difficult it’d be to move from being a junior salesman using basically a phone book for sales calls to being an executive salesman handling the most important clients.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t taken a lunch break yet, so he figured he might as well do that to take a break from all this new information being forced onto his </span>
  <em>
    <span>plate</span>
  </em>
  <span> (AN: Pun intended).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled out his lunch box from his own mini fridge (he hadn’t noticed it earlier, holy crap there were so many amenities for just </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> office). Hinata leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table. In a few minutes he had eaten about half of his lunch and he was bored. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He used to sit with some of his coworkers in the breakroom on the 10th floor, but now he wasn’t sure if they had already gone to break. Or if he would even be welcome there anymore. They might think he’s some big shot or something. Hinata frowned. No, they wouldn’t do that to him; he’ll ask them to lunch tomorrow. Problem solved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, he could call Kageyama. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kageyama, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kageyama. Hinata dialed the number. Hinata put it up to his ear and waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It rang a few times before the line was answered with a gruff “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice suddenly sounded familiar, but Hinata couldn’t place it. “Hi Kageyama. Whatcha up to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing much. I’ve had a busy day at the office. Finally got to a stopping point to have my lunch,” Kageyama answered. Hinata could tell Kageyama was talking with food in his mouth. He giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey you’re not supposed to eat with your mouth full. Are you a kid?” Hinata teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you are,” Kageyama responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how would you know if I even was?” Hinata asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a few moments of silence before Kageyama said a simple “I dunno.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata bit his lip, thinking of what to respond with. He was coming up blank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh, anyways… You’re at lunch? So am I. You must live or work close to my office with the zip code you have. Do you want to eat together? It doesn’t have to be today…” Hinata backed off a bit, realizing he might be coming on too strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You remembered my zip code?” Kageyama asked with an accusing tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m looking at the status of your order right now.” Hinata lied. He was definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> looking at his computer, and he definitely had </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> memorized certain details about Kageyama’s information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyways,” Hinata said again, trying to change the subject quickly. “That’s okay, we don’t have to have lunch any time soon. Just think about it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Kageyama responded simply. And then he asked “Uh, how was your new job today – it was your first day right? How was your new coworker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s fine – I mean, he’s okay. He’s scary, but he’s really good at what he does. He knows a lot, too. I kinda expected him to be a know-it-all… Well he kinda is but he’s not a show off or he doesn’t belittle me for not knowing something. It’s nice.” Hinata rambled, making various sound effects with his story to describe his day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s good. I’m glad he’s not an asshole to you or anything – if you don’t mind me saying that,” Kageyama responded, clearly amused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no no no he’s not a jerk.” Hinata laughed. “If he was, I’d just go back to the 10th floor and accept being demoted. I was okay doing my old job.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Liar, you basically begged me to buy your product,” Kageyama teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t talk about that.” Hinata said in the most gruff voice he could manage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, how was your day today?” Hinata questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good. I had to train a coworker about some procedures,” Kageyama replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh a new guy?” Hinata asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… a promoted guy,” Kageyama muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama sat at his chair, sweating a bit. Hinata must be messing with him. How was he not storming in here right now and yelling at him? How had he not yelled at him at all today? He kinda expected the guy to open the office door and slam it closed as he ripped Kageyama a new one. Hinata should be furious with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s cool! I’m glad your job also promotes people. Maybe I should work there?” Hinata yelled excitedly. Kageyama could hear him on the phone and from the room next door. Kageyama waited for Hinata to start fake laughing and then scream at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit – is Hinata an idiot?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you should work with me,” Kageyama said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, although I’d hate to leave Kageyama–“ Hinata stopped himself to explain, but was interrupted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?” Kageyama pretended to be confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, my coworker’s name is Kageyama. Isn’t that odd?” Hinata laughed awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay… </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hinata would realize the obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama braced himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Kageyama shivered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think my lunch break is over, I gotta get back to work,” Hinata explained, sounding completely not upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wow, Kageyama couldn’t believe it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a crush on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dumbass</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>———-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t meant for it to go on for this long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They chatted almost every day during their lunch breaks. He didn’t want to keep up this facade anymore, but Hinata was insistent on calling and… Kageyama felt so confident talking to Hinata over the phone. Anytime Hinata asked for help or wanted to talk in person, Kageyama froze, tensed up and acted all weird (well, more than he normally did) and it was all his coworkers’ faults. His name wasn’t on that paper by accident...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even without all that weighing on him, who could blame him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at Hinata was like staring into the sun. His hair looked so soft and fluffy, and he had such a small stature; Kageyama imagined that if he hugged Hinata, he would disappear under Kageyama’s broad shoulders. And that wasn’t even the beginning of Kageyama’s problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata’s personality and demeanor was overwhelming. He was cute, hardworking, sure of himself, funny – Kageyama could go on. The most overwhelming thing about Hinata was his energy. Even over the phone, Hinata’s energy was distracting and Kageyama couldn’t help himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a dangerous game he was playing, but Kageyama was cautious. He made sure to keep his phone on silent, just in case Hinata called while he was walking by. He was 100% certain Hinata couldn’t remember his given name from his customer information and he hadn’t shared it when they met in person. All of his tracks were covered as far as he was aware. It was amazing that Hinata hadn’t figured it out yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Kageyama knew he couldn’t keep doing this to Hinata. He just needed to be honest and tell him everything. But he had no idea where to start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama stared at his computer, eyeing the empty excel spreadsheet outlining all of the sales he made this week. He was supposed to have finished and submitted it to his boss a half hour ago. Kageyama leaned hard on the hand propping up his face before pulling back his seat and rising up from his chair. A quick bathroom break would clear up these intrusive thoughts, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked past the window looking into Hinata’s office and saw a glimpse of orange. He turned toward the glass in curiosity. Hinata was typing rapidly while a phone was balancing on his shoulder, held securely by his head. He appeared to be talking to a client – Kageyama could just almost make out the muffled words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata spun in his chair to face another part of his desk and started jotting down information on a pad of paper. Kageyama smiled and continued his walk to the men’s room. He didn’t expect to find his boss inside. Kageyama dashed into a stall, but before he could close the door, Oikawa tutted. “Hey, Tobio, remember that spreadsheet is due today. I’ll give you until lunch, I know you’ve been busy with Hinata,” he smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama shut the stall door loudly and groaned. He heard a chuckle, a “bye” and a door closing. Kageyama huffed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did everyone in this building know his business?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When he made it back to their office, Hinata was still sitting in a sales call. Kageyama decided maybe he should try to talk to him? And maybe he wouldn’t be a complete doofus for once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Hinata,” Kageyama said simply, standing in front of the desk awkwardly.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit, get it together.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata swiveled in his chair. “Hi,” he responded, scratching his head before finishing up his notes for a few seconds. “I actually have a question, Kageyama.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Holy crap, did he figure it out?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mentioned something about filling out a weekly sales thing for Oikawa-san,” Hinata squeaked. “Could you explain further?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,” Kageyama responded, feeling a bit disappointed; he really wanted to chat about anything but work. “Let me send you a template to fill out,” he murmured. He walked over to his office and sent the file via email. Kageyama came back into Hinata’s office and rolled a chair over to sit next to the red head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was basically self explanatory, but he made sure to explain the categories and which figures should go where. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I fill this out every week?” Hinata asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama was too busy watching Hinata’s arm graze his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama shook his head, snapping himself out of it and looked at his coworker. “What was the question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, never mind,” Hinata said; he still looked confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about I grab my info and we can fill ours out together?” Kageyama offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm, sounds good,” Hinata smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat close as they worked. Hinata rambled on about some clients he talked to that day while Kageyama enjoyed listening. The conversation was focused on work, but at least it felt a little more natural, not forced. When they finished, Kageyama showed his coworker the tray to slip the paper into outside of Oikawa’s office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just before lunch, so they had met the deadline okay. Now, to eat. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Here was an opportunity, as long as he didn’t fuck it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Hinata,” he grunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata turned around and smiled at him. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Kageyama could find his words, he realized there were a lot of people who were loitering around and watching them stand awkwardly close in a grey hallway. Maybe this would have been a better conversation for their closed office doors. But wait, this was just an offer for a regular, normal lunch, it wasn’t like he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>asking Hinata out or anything. No definitely not</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kageyama shook himself out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“U-uh did you have lunch plans?” He looked away – anywhere but Hinata.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, actually. I was going to call a friend –” Hinata started to explain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to put you out like that, it’s fine if –“ Kageyama rambled waving his hands dismissively. He could feel his ears burning red and covered his cheek with a hand to hide behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay! I haven’t gone out to lunch in a long time. This will be nice,” Hinata quickly squeaked. People turned their heads to glance at them, so Kageyama stared at the floor. Hinata ignored them. “Shall we go? I’m hungry,” Hinata rubbed his stomach too cutely for a grown man. Kageyama wasn’t going to make it through lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama decided to choose a restaurant a few minutes away so they could walk and not worry about traffic. It was a casual eatery – a place that specialized in rice dishes. Businessmen wouldn’t usually meet for lunch there, but Kageyama knew Hinata liked rice with raw egg on top. When Hinata saw which restaurant they were going to, his eyes were alight. “I love this place! How’d you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucky guess.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>A lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked inside and sat down at a small booth in the back corner. A server approached their table and asked what they wanted. Hinata ordered rice with an egg on top and Kageyama ordered pork curry with an egg on top. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata chuckled when the guy walked away with their requests. “You’re such a copycat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How so?” Kageyama was confused and leaned back in the booth, trying to get comfortable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ordered an egg to add on top of your dish!” Hinata accused, teasing. He tapped his chin, thinking for a moment before smirking and pointing at Kageyama.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Copyama…” Hinata giggled, very satisfied with himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” the accused man said while covering his face, blushing from the fact that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>likes</span>
  </em>
  <span> this idiot. “Well I just happen to like egg on my curry – is that a crime?” Kageyama asked, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but it should be,” Hinata said in a very challenging manor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama didn’t know this side of Hinata, and he had to admit… He liked it... Damn, Sugawara-san was wrong. These interactions only made his feelings stronger. He took a large sip of his milk to calm his nerves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, how would you go about with the charges?” Kageyama replied. He acted aloof, staring out the window for a second while trying to calm down from his internal dilemma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer!” Hinata laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was silence, neither knowing what to say next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama broke the silence with a typical question. “So how are you liking the new job?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s great. I’ve learned so much and I think I’m getting the hang of it,” Hinata was a little bouncy in his chair as he continued to explain everything that was new or different about his new job.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama leaned forward, resting his head on his hand. He listened and listened to Hinata’s ramblings and anecdotes – he could do it all day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the food arrived, Hinata stopped and made room for his bowl on the table. Kageyama was brought back to reality when the server interpreted his view of Hinata by placing the bowls down in front of the two men. Kageyama said a quick thanks a little late since the guy had left the table a minute ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Hinata asked him before taking a bite of food – “Ah! It’s hot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama muttered, “Let it cool, dumbass.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata choked a bit hearing that and grabbed his water and took a sip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When his eyes stopped watering from the heat, he saw that Kageyama was gone. “What the hell?” Hinata thought out loud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama stood in the bathroom stall in the restaurant, escaping confrontation. There was no way that Hinata would be okay with being called a dumbass. Kageyama felt like a dumbass for doing that… well, he felt even more like an </span>
  <em>
    <span>ass</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was never good to take out your coworker and then call him stupid for such a silly thing. Kageyama glared at his hands for a moment, trying to think of how to fix this situation. He finally had close to Hinata, having to climb from the bottom and claw his way up, only to fall back down and try again. It was hopeless –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama suddenly heard his cell phone ring. He took a deep breath and answered the call, not expecting to hear Hinata’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kageyama! I’m at lunch with a coworker and he just left me like a jerk.” Hinata vented loudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing okay, thanks,” Kageyama immediately acted calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry! But I’m so surprised – I thought he liked me!” Hinata apologized, his voice down to a whisper now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what?” Kageyama croaked. Was he that obvious?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, he asked me out to lunch, so I know he can stand me is all,” Hinata explained like it was obvious to assume that he thought of him and his coworker as friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, the way you said it made me think romantically,” Kageyama responded, trying to sound normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no no – I don’t want you to assume that! If I were to go on a date, I’d rather go with someone like you.” Hinata said, sounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> casual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama frowned, jealousy rising. Before he got too red he realized something. Wait a second – Kageyama was jealous… of himself? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama facepalmed before speaking up; he needed to mend this quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling ever so confident on the phone, he replied, “Maybe you should give that guy a chance. He might be in the bathroom…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right! I’ll go check,” Hinata said, already walking to the restroom. “Before I check on him, I just wanted to say that what I meant earlier was that I could go on a lunch date with you, but it’s not like it’d be a date date or anything. So don’t misunderstand, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> you wanted to go on a date date I would also wouldn’t say no,” Hinata babbled as he opened the men’s room door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?” Hinata said into the phone. No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside the stall, Kageyama was freaking out. Should he hang up the phone or not? Or would it be better to come clean and tell Hinata everything?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?” Hinata questioned again, this time he was referring to the closed stall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama carefully closed his cell phone. Even while flushing the toilet, he heard Hinata gasp. Hinata must have heard the call end. Kageyama casually left the stall and pretended to not know Hinata was there until he called his name again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama?” Hinata all but stamped his foot impatiently, clearly mad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hinata. I’m sorry I left you. I really had to go and I couldn’t wait,” Kageyama lied. Although the statement was kinda true – he did need to leave that scene </span>
  <em>
    <span>immediately</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But he felt terrible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, really,” Hinata breathed, a little frustrated that he was hung up on and that the guy he liked didn’t seem to be interested in him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two went back to lunch and ate. It was a little awkward at first, but Kageyama made up for earlier by feeling confident all of a sudden and made an effort to be a part of the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t exactly sure why, but “breaking up” with Hinata over the phone diminished his anxiety over Hinata finding out. The guy on the phone was not who he really was. He wasn’t super flirty or the funniest guy, but by trying so hard to be that way made him realize it was wrong to continue this. And by ending their phone conversations he didn’t have to admit anything to Hinata. He could start from scratch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry the guy hung up on you,” Kageyama apologized for himself after Hinata told him what happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. Kinda made me realize there was no way I could pursue the relationship. He wasn’t romantically interested in me, but we do talk all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe you could pursue a friendship,” Kageyama blurted out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He could never give himself a break.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right! I’ll call him right now and just admit what happened and we can be friends,” Hinata squawked. He pulled his yellow cell phone out of his pocket, ready to dial</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on! Give him a while to think and maybe he might change his mind,” Kageyama basically yelled. He was leaned in close, ready to grab that yellow device and get it away from his crush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Hinata whispered, a little shaken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t mean to yell. Hey, let me pay for the meal,” Kageyama offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata accepted, but only because Kageyama wouldn’t take no for an answer. They split the tip after Hinata demanded he help pay. They left the restaurant with no leftovers, their arms brushing as they made their way back to the office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata blushed a little. He didn’t notice before – Kageyama was kind. Well of course this Kageyama was kind, but they had always been in an office setting where he had to offer his help. Here, he did so without hesitation. He was a little awkward but also confident and sure of himself. He was super tall and had deep blue eyes and –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wow Hinata hadn’t felt himself get over one crush and get another one so fast in his entire life. He watched Kageyama as he opened the door politely for him and Hinata thanked him as he entered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rode up the elevator in almost complete silence before Kageyama opened his mouth when they made it to the 9th floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata watched Kageyama fighting and struggling to form words. Hinata was also fighting – fighting his crazy urges but he was confused and overwhelmed at all these realizations and –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, uh, Hinata,” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata cut him off, finally deciding urges were okay, leaned up and kissed the man softly on the cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the meal,” Hinata whispered simply before leaving the elevator. Kageyama followed him, touching where the red head’s lips had just been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” He blurted, almost chasing after Hinata who already was rushing down the next hall. He was fast, but Kageyama was gaining on him, fueled from adrenaline and curiosity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Other businessmen and women rolled their eyes as the two men basically ran like children down the last hall and finally entered Hinata’s office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to make a call,” Hinata gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama, who still wanted answers, refused to leave. “I’ll wait then.” He grumbled, rubbing his blushing cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata pulled out his cell phone once more and dialed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama’s phone rang loudly, and it took him a few seconds too long to realize he fucked up. He ran into his office. His first thought was to lock the door, but this door didn’t have a lock. There was no escape, unless he left through the other entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, he owed Hinata this much; Kageyama had to face him, but he didn’t want to.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata was shocked. He let the phone keep calling his “customer.” He could hear Kageyama’s cell phone in the next room blaring its ringtone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When no one answered and the recorded voice of Kageyama offered him to leave a voicemail, Hinata could hear Kageyama too. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata saw red as he slammed his flip phone closed and threw it to the floor. Kageyama and Kageyama were the same person – he was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiot</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a violent knock at the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama pretended he was busy typing out a large order through the system, tapping the keys loudly, hoping Hinata would go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t come in,” Kageyama whispered at the door. The door opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to talk to you, Kageyama. It’s a personal matter,” Hinata rushed in, approaching the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama was still for a second before motioning to a chair. “Sit down,” Kageyama offered, trying to act calm, so Hinata would be calm when he admitted everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was afraid to even look at Hinata; Kageyama could tell he was upset just from his voice. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Hinata was frowning and his face was pink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata shook his head. “No thank you… Why did you do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama finally forced himself to look directly at the freckled face; Hinata’s cheeks were glistening, wet with tears and beet red. His teeth were clenched and his eyebrows were knitted. He puffed out his cheeks and asked again “Why?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama stood up and started to explain. “It’s not what you think!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I think,” Hinata spat, slamming his hands on the desk. “I trusted you! Both of you – which is just </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” He leaned back and pulled his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You put yourself on a calling list to screw with me – you bought the products out of pity, and had the gall to promote me. I didn’t earn any of it!” Hinata quickly turned away from him and clenched his fists. “Did you do this so I would owe you something? Owe you my career?! Am I supposed to thank you? Kiss up to you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you’ve got it all wrong, Hinata. I did not know about the list! My sadistic coworkers added my name onto your sheet!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, WHY didn’t you just tell me who you were when you answered the phone?!” Hinata yelled, turning back around to face him. His face was even more red than before. His eyes were serious and focused – he was fucking scary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m an idiot!” Kageyama walked forward, running his leg into the desk. Kageyama grimaced from the pain, but still tried to maneuver around to get closer to Hinata. The red head took several steps back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I am too, for thinking you ever had any real interest in me! You just wanted to play around with my feelings and insult my intelligence… I fucking quit,” Hinata spat. He stomped his way to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama didn’t know what to say at first, but when he thought back to starting his first day here and the first day he saw Hinata – he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fucking quit too,” Kageyama yelled, immediately regretting his tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata stopped in his tracks. “What?” he sniffled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t give a damn about this job, not anymore,” Kageyama breathed, jumping in Hinata’s way to prevent any escape. He slid his hand along Hinata’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama exhaled softly before continuing to speak. “I give a damn about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata pulled his arm away and slapped Kageyama.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama was shaken, but quickly grabbed the offending hand gently and kept it against his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata opened his mouth in shock, like he wanted to say something. Kageyama covered the twitching lips with his palm. “I’m not finished,” he growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata audibly gulped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been driving my coworkers crazy for awhile now because I’ve been afraid to approach you – today when I asked you to lunch – that was just a fluke...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata didn’t say a word, so Kageyama continued. “My coworkers did not do a great thing, but they did it for the sake of their sanity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata narrowed his eyes a bit, still untrusting every word coming out of Kageyama’s mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As for the promotion, Nishinoya-san really was the one who decided that you were a right fit for this job. But they shouldn’t have put you with me – Suga knew I h-had certain feelings, and thought that somehow our relationship wouldn’t be a conflict of interest, but it is.” Kageyama released his hand from Hinata’s face, expecting the man to say something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no conflict of interest, because there’s nothing between us,” Hinata’s said, voice muffled from the hand still covering his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you know that’s a lie,” Kageyama felt his eyes water. His hands shook a little, so he let his hands slip from Hinata’s face but he held on to the front of the man’s suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata just looked at him, eyes calculating and teeth biting his lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You stay here, you really deserve this job. I’m going to quit,” Kageyama assured him with a nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata’s eyes softened, and his face turned pink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say that again,” Hinata whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fucking quit,” Kageyama said again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started to let go of his crush when Hinata pulled at his tie. Kageyama gasped in confusion as his weight leaned forward, and Hinata elevated upwards on his toes to get closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Hinata asked, voice so soft. “Yes, before you stopped me,” Kageyama growned, flustered by their closeness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata smirked and yanked Kageyama’s tie again, pushing their lips together for a few seconds. Kageyama felt shivers when Hinata deepened the kiss before pulling back slowly. The red head smiled. “You don’t have to quit,” he suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m definitely going to quit,” Kageyama said stupidly, still a mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you quit, I quit.” Hinata smiled. “This job sucked anyways.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine by me.” Kageyama grinned.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Epilogue:</p><p>It turned out that neither of them really quit – but one of them moved to another part of the department after Daichi found out what happened...</p><p>Tsukishima wasn’t very happy to find a new neighbor in the office next to him who worked on Asahi’s team in the sales department. An annoying red head who was loud and used his office phone a lot to talk to a certain angry dark haired man on Oikawa’s team. If you asked him, this new guy sucked, but at least his numbers were okay.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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